Complete Story
 

02/17/2025

Collision Repairers: Will You Take the Oath?

Source: Body Shop Business

Last month in my article, “The Right Way, the Wrong Way and Another Way,” I brought up collision repairers’ professional responsibilities and the notion of the collision repair industry developing and adopting an oath of professional ethics and conduct much like that of the medical industry’s Hippocratic oath, “To Do No Harm.”

OEM Repair Procedures

Today’s collision repairers are challenged with a new set of concerns, one being the need to follow OEM repair procedures. OEM repair procedures have been both a blessing and a curse for collision repairers and insurers. As the OEMs attempt to avoid potential liabilities and safeguard their products’ reputation via owner satisfaction, they have often erred on the side of caution. For example, when the OEM procedures state if a vehicle is in a collision, the repairer must access or remove the dashboard and/or steering column for inspection and/or measurement, the first question to be asked is: Do the facts of the loss support or dictate what must be done? And, to what level should it be done?

When the wind blows a shopping cart across a parking lot and it strikes a vehicle, that is a “collision” by definition. So, what is a repairer to do? Should he or she blindly follow the OEM procedures and perform the added activities, despite a professional and expert opinion that it is not necessary under the situation? Over time, will these invasive activities be the cause of squeaks and rattles that probably wouldn’t have happened had the repairer not dismantled these components? Is the repairer accepting potential liabilities related to potential failures and operational issues? These are questions repairers are dealing with on a regular basis across the country.

I can assure you that insurers are dealing with this issue on two fronts: one with the collision repair industry following the OEM procedures that may not be warranted and, on the other end, strongly encouraging the OEMs to better fine-tune their repair procedures so they’re less all-inclusive and more specific to the true needs under various circumstances. Insurers will no doubt threaten to place higher premiums on specific makes and models to encourage manufacturers to be less broad and more specific when writing required and recommended procedures. I believe we’ll see more concise procedures in the not-too-distant future.

The Commitments

We will delve a little deeper into this proposal in an effort to gain a better understanding of what should be considered and expected in meeting the listed commitments as follows:

These are the 10 remaining topics which space does not permit me to address. However, the information provided above may be applied to most if not all of these:

  1. To list all parts and adjustments in the price charged for services rendered.
  2. Commitment to teach other industry professionals who swear the oath.
  3. I will expose wrongdoing, errors and omissions that may be discovered.
  4. I will not condone or attempt to hide errors and omissions.
  5. To adhere and follow all local, regional, state and federal laws.
  6. To apply established and accepted high-standard practices for proper repair.
  7. At all times, I will practice my profession with conscience and dignity.
  8. Inform and answer to the customer at all times relative to their repair.
  9. Maintain facilities that are safe, clean, and employee- and customer-friendly.
  10. Support my industry at the local, state and national levels.

As always, I am available if you have any questions. You can email me at barrett@autodamageexperts.com.

Printer-Friendly Version